The Secrets We Keep - Series part 8
by riley2002
Summary: How do you keep a non-compliant HG off of a sprained ankle, not to mention secrets and curiosities.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any part of Warehouse 13 and honestly really don't want to. It's much more fun to play with the toys and put them back to play with later.

**A/N: **Thanks to all comments and reviews. Always appreciated and considered. It always helps to know specifics to help me gauge my success in presenting my thoughts and consider alternative approaches to clarify the less successful attempts. Keep laughing.

* * *

"Helena, what are you doing?" Myka yelled from the door.

"Umm, nothing?" A guilty voice answered from the kitchen. "Just getting ideas?"

"With a measuring tape and a pencil and is that your little notebook I see you putting in your back pocket?" Myka quickly reached behind and pulled the book out of Helena's back pocket waving it in her face. "You're supposed to be resting that ankle. Get on the sofa. Now!"

"Myka, I'm not an invalid, I'm bored…" She limped over to the sofa. Myka was pleased to see most of the bruising from the last mission with Steve had faded, but the ankle was more problematic. She'd sprained that ankle numerous times and Helena was tired of the forced rest. She'd already ignored the initial resting period, but they were still hoping for some healing to occur now, along with physical therapy.

"Sit. Put your foot on the pillows. You were complaining this morning that it hurt. You never complain when things hurt. When did you last ice it?"

Helena plopped on the sofa in a less than gracious manner with a huff, placing the injured ankle on the pillow to elevate it. She thought a moment, then guiltily admitted to Myka, "I'm not sure actually. Are you always this demanding?"

"You know damned well how demanding I can be, especially when you don't behave." Myka teased her from the kitchen, rummaging in the freezer through their growing collection of ice packs. "Do most people have this many ice packs? I swear we have more ice packs than food in here. It's a good thing we eat at the house most of the time."

"Occupational hazard, dear. If you were not so demanding, I would get a chance to get groceries." Helena taunted. "My good behavior is hardly an incentive, now is it, darling?"

"You don't do groceries and if you misbehave I'll tell everyone you giggle." Myka was always quick to use this threat. It usually worked.

"You wouldn't..." Helena had a look of pure horror on her face that made Myka laugh. She sat on the sofa next to Helena, adjusting the ice pack, noting the slight flinch.

"Try me, Helena. I don't see what the big deal is, but you seem to think that would be the worst revelation in the world." The first time she heard it she was shocked. Now for the big guns. "Or, I can tell them you're ticklish. Then, of course, there is that Emily Lake scream of yours that they don't know was a residual part of YOUR personality. Oh, the secrets I keep for you." Myka resisted the temptation to tickle her, keeping the injured ankle in mind.

"That's not fair!" Helena complained, pouting.

"If you really don't rest," she whispered in her ear, leaning in to kiss the back of Helena's neck exposed by the pony tail today, "Then I definitely won't be doing any of that."

Helena had immediately dropped her head forward, loudly moaning shamelessly at the first sensation of the warm breath against her neck. "Oh, you are a very wicked woman."

Myka stood up skimming the back of Helena's neck with her nails. "Yes, and if you always respond like that, you are going to get us in trouble."

Helena grabbed the hand, stopping its teasing. Looking up with a smirk and a glint in her eye she growled at Myka. "Only if you do that in inappropriate places."

"Well, I won't let you be the judge of appropriate in this case. Now, here is your book. Doodle, draw, do whatever, but no measuring."

"But I'm bored!" Helena whined again.

"You've made that quite clear with the 50 texts I received this morning. And I would appreciate no more pictures. Steve saw the first one when he handed me my phone." She looked at the ceiling in feigned, deep thought. "I believe his comment was along the lines of that particular view being more attractive in Tenerife without the tan lines and he'd be happy to take you with him anytime." Myka looked straight at her. "Be thankful it wasn't Pete. I was able to delete it before he could grab the phone out of my hand."

Helena laughed at the thought of that scenario. "Oh, I hadn't thought of that. I'd be more than happy to go with Steve, though." She winked at Myka, remembering the time she'd spent with Steve at the beaches in Tenerife.

"I would prefer you didn't go with Steve, but that's your choice. He's seen far more of you than I like to think about. As brilliant as you are, it never occurred to you that someone else might pick up my phone? You know what it's like over there."

"What am I supposed to do?" Once again she whined pathetically.

"First, stop whining. I thought you'd love to have this time to read. How about you read, oh, say, War and Peace?"

"Oh, not that piece of drabble again, please. I don't think I could get through it a second time. I honestly don't understand what you see in it. I've been reading. I need to DO something."

"Seriously, Helena, you were pulled from the field for at least six weeks. I already belittled Artie and the rest for letting you anywhere near the warehouse. You should have done this from day one. You weren't supposed to be working yet." Helena's surprise prompted Myka to explain. "Yes, I know. I called Dr. Calder. She yelled at Artie, too. In a couple of days you can do desk duty." Helena glared at her. "Honey, I know this is not easy and I wouldn't want to be in your place either, but if you don't take care of that ankle now, it will never get better."

"Let's give it a couple of days. I'll try to sneak some files home. Maybe we'll get a ping. You can at least do research. It's better than sitting here doing crossword puzzles." Myka tried to be optimistic and cheer her up. She couldn't imagine herself being in this position, but she could read for longer periods of time. Despite how much she craved reading, unless Helena was with her, she couldn't sit for extended periods of time before getting anxious to do something.

"Crossword puzzles? Are you serious? They are insipid time wasters."

"Thanks. Don't let Mrs. Frederic hear you say that. Some people like them. What do I have to do, tie you down?"

"I can't say that I ever complained about that before." She offered her hands to Myka, smirking.

"Helena…" Not wanting to go this direction again.

"Oh, fine. A girl can only hope…"

"You're whining, again. I need to go back. Only ice for 15-20 minutes at a time, remember? You lose track of time easily."

"Fine…May I have my workbook from the office, please, before you leave?"

"Yeah, hold on."

Myka ran up to the office and back down. "Here, I grabbed some Thoreau, too. Anything else? Oh crap, I forgot your lunch…Sorry, peanut butter and jelly." Quickly throwing the sandwich together and getting a glass of water she set it on the table. "Okay, remember…"

"Yes, Myka…Rest, ice, compress and elevate. I've got it. I'm not completely incompetent, nor am I an invalid, just bored."

"Yes, I know, and infuriatingly stubborn." She kissed the frowning forehead. "I love you anyway. Now, I've got to go. And no more measuring!" Myja shouted as she shut the door.

* * *

"Come in, Claudia. The door is unlocked." Helena had readjusted her ankle to the top of the sofa, using her other thigh as a writing surface, intent on her work.

"How did you know it was me?" The young woman asked sitting on the floor at the coffee table across from the sofa.

Helena never looked up from her work, forehead creased in deep thought. "Myka texted me. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company? I can only assume it is to babysit me, am I correct?"

"Well, kind of." Claudia pulled out her laptop, setting it on the table. "I can work remotely. Myka was trying to come up with ideas to occupy you, Pete said something about tying you up, Myka got really red and punched him, and Steve just laughed, so I came over here."

"Well, as much as I do enjoy the idea of being tied up, I was turned down earlier at that suggestion. I agree it would not be very beneficial for my ankle." Helena looked up from her work to see Claudia fidgeting at the table, not looking at her in the face. "Oh, Claudia, how am I going to teach you to not be so embarrassed about sex? God knows you've certainly found us in more than just an occasional compromising situation."

"Maybe you two should be a little more concerned about those compromising situations…you know, like location, frequency, volume...location."

"Quite possibly, but I've learned it is not nearly as much fun." Helena beamed, turning her attention back to her work.

Claudia stood up abruptly. "You want some tea? And when is the last time you iced?"

"Myka is correct. You are an impossible mother hen. That tea would be wonderful though, thank you… and the ice as well, please." She heard the rummaging in the kitchen and smiled. "She's hiding them above the refrigerator, left side, in the back."

"Uh, thanks." She came back with the ice and a bag of Twizzlers waiting for the water to boil. "Is that your secret workbook?"

"Yes." She smiled before taking the ice and adjusting it accordingly.

"What are you working on?" She tried to peek over Helena's shoulder.

Closing the book quickly, she looked at Claudia perplexed. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret now, would it?"

"Fine." Bringing back the tea, she dug through her bag before resuming her place on the floor. "I smuggled some files for you to look at. A couple from 12. I thought you might be interested."

"I'll just start a pile to add the ones I know Myka will bring home too. It'll do a poor job keeping my mind off other activities which someone has momentarily suspended for my ankle's benefit, despite my insistence that one needs only be creative." Helena chuckled at the burning face across the table. "Consistent exposure, Claudia. I will teach you yet." She dropped them in a pile on the floor and continued working in her workbook as Claudia fidgeted again.

"HG?"

"Yes, Claudia."

"You really can't tell me what you're working on?" She begged.

"No. What is the point of having secrets, if one does not keep them? Besides, this one would take us to a topic you find distressing." HG smiled having no intention on explaining this plan in her book.

"Does Myka know?"

"Does Myka know what, exactly?"

"Your secrets."

"Myka knows a great many things." Helena said cryptically.

"Oh." Claudia sat back on her hands staring at her computer. Helena sat back waiting, staring at her workbook pretending to work. She and Myka learned this technique a long time ago, patiently waiting for the young woman to get around to what she really wanted to know.

"HG?" Claudia inquired hesitantly, arms now wrapped around her legs, computer forgotten.

"Yes, Claudia."

"What kinds of things?"

"You would need to ask her."

"Claudia?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you want to know?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Then why are we having this lack of a conversation? It is obvious you want an answer to something."

Claudia sat of the floor hedging a bit before blurting out, "Were you really as promiscuous as you imply? You know, back then?"

"Well, that is a rather personal question. Why do you ask?" Helena closed her notebook, pushing it down between the back of the sofa and the cushion. Pushing her hair back with one hand she looked at the hesitant woman sitting on the floor.

"Sorry. It's none of my business, it's just you mention it a lot in passing, and you don't really hold back now, either verbally or, uh…physically. Sorry. Forget I asked."

"You are correct. I've never kept it a secret that I took many lovers. I'm not proud of it, now. None of them were of much importance to me beyond an amusement, and as a result, I did end up in an undesirable situation."

"Christina?"

"Yes." She reached for the locket that was no longer there. She rarely reached for it anymore it had been lost for so long.

"Claudia, we all respond differently to our environments…"

At that instant, Myka walked through the door smiling at the sight of the two working across from each other in the living room, deep in conversation. "Hey, guys. You want to stay for dinner, Claudia?" She asked entering the kitchen trying to figure out what they would feed her.

"No, thanks, I'm good. I think I've had enough babysitting for one day." She muttered.

"Claudia," Helena touched the young woman's arm, "Go up to the office. In the bottom drawer of my desk you will find some journals. The two blue ones I believe will help answer your questions. We can talk again."

Myka came over when Claudia shot up the stairs, to stand facing Helena from the end of the sofa. "Did I interrupt something?"

"Somewhat. But I think it'll all work out."

Myka raised her eyebrows at the woman on the sofa, appreciating her present position; ankle elevated on the back of the sofa, her other foot on the floor. Her shirt had ridden up exposing a small strip of her abdomen. "You do know that the way you are laying is very provocative." Myka climbed over the end of the sofa into the inviting open space between Helena's legs. Helena pinned her down with the good leg. Rising on her arms, Myka's eyes smiled. She leaned down to kiss the woman beneath her.

"Hey," Claudia spoke from the stairs. "I thought those activities were frowned upon for a healing ankle." She grabbed her stuff quickly, stuffing the two journals in her bag.

"You'd be surprised how healing such activities can be." Helena smirked. "I'll teach you yet, Claudia." More seriously she added. "I don't think I have to tell you, but please mind not to keep those journals lying about."

"Yeah, yeah…I wouldn't. Are you sure?" Claudia asked from the door.

"It's nothing you've not heard already or I wouldn't say to you, Claudia. I think it just might be easier for you."

"Okay." She slowly shut the door, not bothering to say good-bye.

Myka looked down at Helena curiously. "Want to explain why you're letting her read those journals? They're, uh, full of some pretty private stuff, not to mention a lot of that still happens. I'm not sure how comfortable I am about that."

"As if she doesn't know what goes on already. She's interrupted often enough. She's curious about my past. Almost as much as you were before you read them." Helena tapped her nose. "Apparently, I've made a few more suggestive comments than necessary and teased her about it as well. The blue journals are a good start. Certainly not the red ones."

"Of course I was curious and I found those journals to be pretty revealing, but I was sleeping with you when you handed them to me to read." Myka adjusted her weight in Helena's arms.

Helena laid, enjoying Myka's presence, in thought. "She will know soon enough. I'd rather it came willingly from me."

"Are you up for a movie at the house? You don't have to watch. You can just pretend and get a foot rub. You may actually like the movie. Steve picked it out, not Pete."

"I could use a change of scenery."


	2. Chapter 2

"HG, how many times do we have to go through this? Get down from that ladder. And don't think I didn't see you climbing around on the shelves earlier. If I see you do it again I'm going to tell Myka."

"Oh, please, Claudia. You're worse than Myka. Soon you're going to start clucking."

"Yeah, well you've never seen her evil twin emerge when she gets really…uh, no, I guess you have. That would be why we have the container."

"Yes, that would be why. I recall you having spent plenty of time in there as well."

"Usually with you." Claudia pointed out. "Maybe we should just call it the Wells Tantrum Tank."

"You are so amusing." She grimaced at the woman. "I assume it is your turn to watch me? Pete had this morning."

"Not really, I just happen to be down here. You are supposed to be up there." Claudia pointed to the office. "What are you doing here, anyway?" They were near the portal. Most of them avoided the area preferring not to bring back those memories.

"Oh, just a futile task I suppose." She followed Claudia towards the office. "Something that comes to mind on occasion." Her voice trailed off, empty.

"Like what?"

"Senseless, really. I keep wondering if my locket may have gotten lost somewhere down here. I've long ago become used to its absence, but sometimes I wonder. It is most likely lost on the other side of the portal. Too much reading of late. Myka gave me a book of Thoreau. Very wise man."

Claudia looked at her oddly as they walked, Helena still with a slight limp.

"I don't think it's stupid. Maybe it'll show up someday. Things end up in surprising places, you know."

"I suppose. It is strange, though, not being so dependent on its possession. It seems one does not need an object for one to hold a memory. Quite the opposite really. I learned that very quickly running around with the astrolabe. Though, it is comforting none the less." The women climbed the stairs to the office.

When they came through the door, Myka scowled at her. "I'm not saying anything. There is some new information on that artifact you were asking about that I found. It's on the table, where you are supposed to be, easing into work."

Helena gave her a brisk kiss on her cheek as she passed. "I'm going to make some tea first. Do either of you want anything?"

Claudia looked at Myka quickly. "Hot chocolate sounds good. Thanks, HG." With HG off to make her tea, Claudia walked up to Myka. "You should be ashamed of yourself." She spit out.

Myka was physically taken aback, surprised by the menacing cold tone of Claudia's voice.

"What did I do?"

"It's not a matter of what you did do; it's what you didn't do." Myka was still confused. Claudia quickly took a look in the room next door, watching Helena go about her business. "Do you want to know what she's doing down in that section? She's still looking for her locket. I know you have it. Why haven't you told her?"

Not waiting for a response, she turned her back to Myka and sat at the computer, her back towards her.

Helena came back with her tea and the hot chocolate, complete with a big marshmallow. She sat at the table with the new information in front of her, curious about the unusual silence in the room. "Did something happen?"

"No." The other two women said simultaneously.

Helena went back into the small area and dug through the cupboard.

"Are you quite sure?" She asked sitting down, again. "You are both rather quiet."

Neither woman responded.

"Well, in that case, something must be done about this silence." She turned around in her chair and threw a large marshmallow at Claudia, hitting her point-blank in the back of the head and then very quickly at Myka. Claudia froze on the spot in complete surprise. Myka acted more quickly, picking up the marshmallow and returning fire at Helena. Helena had already ducked behind the table expecting the retaliation, and let loose two more of the soft objects. Both shots missing their target. Claudia picked up two and lodged them both at Myka, still angry at her.

Helena took advantage of Claudia's momentary focus on Myka, and dug into the bag getting three direct hits at Claudia.

"How come I'm the target?" Claudia complained, from under the desk using the swivel chair as a shield.

"Because you need more practice. Learn to duck!" Myka yelled out. At the same time the last words came out of her mouth, she took two direct hits in the head. Myka jumped behind the door lobbing her collection of marshmallows in the direction of Helena, now on the sofa, well shielded by the chairs she set up in front of it. "You are so in for it, Wells!"

"I have the ammunition." Helena laughed back at her.

Claudia scrambled to collect the soft objects around the desk. "I've got plenty of my own now, HG."

Myka saw the opening, having collected her own stock pile.

"Claudia?" Myka looked towards her. "Do you see it?" Helena, in her haste during the fun, had left one side free with little defense of her position.

"Yeah." Claudia saw the opening and the advantage from the table.

"On three"

"Got it. I'll take the table."

"One…two.…..three!"

They moved in perfect synchronization as Helena threw the last of her marshmallows at the two. Myka dove for the side as Claudia jumped on the table letting loose a barrage of marshmallows at the instigator. Myka jumped onto the sofa, covering Helena with her body and started tickling her sides. Helena let out a loud shriek between the laughing. Now out of ammunition, Claudia stood on the table looking at the scene below her, astonished at the revelation of a ticklish HG.

Between the shrieking and laughing, she pleaded with Myka. "Myka stop…stop….I'm going to wet myself….Myka, please….OK….Uncle!"

"It took you long enough." Myka laughed down at the breathless enemy.

Claudia was still standing on the table. "Dude, this is so awesome. HG Wells is ticklish and screams like a little girl." She doubled over in laughter.

Myka looked up at her, still holding down the laughing woman, laughing herself. "You will not tell anyone. I just lost two of my best bribes."

"Was that really an Emily Lake scream?" Claudia was still in awe.

"No, that's an H.G. Wells scream that was retained by Emily Lake that occasionally comes out under extreme conditions. Fun, huh?" Myka sat up still straddling her girlfriend, trying to control her laughter and catch her breath.

"WHAT is going on in here?"

Trying to gain control of their laughter they faced Artie at the door, Myka scrambling off of Helena, who followed behind, sitting up.

"Um…nothing?" Myka laughed out, tears streaming down her face.

"I can see that nothing is being done. The question is what IS being done."

Claudia was the first to regain control. "Uh, tension relief? Hey, did you know HG…?"

Myka kicked her before she could finish.

"Well, it can all stop now. And I DON'T want to know who started it. Clean up this mess and go home." Artie turned to his desk smiling. They were nothing if not creative. "Someone owes me a bag of marshmallows."

* * *

Climbing the front steps to the B&B, Claudia started laughing again. "Are you guys eating here tonight?" She stared at her two friends from the top of the stairs. They were holding hands, Helena leaning against Myka for support, chuckling again. "You guys are so cute sometimes. You really should get married."

Helena choked on her laughter as Myka turned white.

"Uh, no, we're going to the cottage. You reminded me of something I need to do." Myka answered blankly.

Claudia nodded her head, understanding. "Okay, goodnight then."

Walking towards the cottage Helena looked up at Myka. "What do you have to do?"

Uncertain, Myka smiled lamely at her. "You'll find out soon enough. Are you hungry?"

"Not really. I'm looking forward to getting this foot up, though." She chuckle again. "I'm sure a marshmallow war was not part of the doctor's instructions, but it was fun."

Myka turned the door knob, opening the door. "Still not locking the door I see." Helena commented.

"I don't see the point. She can get in any time she wants one way or another. Go upstairs and I'll give you a foot rub. I'll be up as soon as I get some ice."

Helena stripped off her clothes and cleaned up while Myka puttered around downstairs. She crawled under the loose covers, leaning against the headboard, putting her foot up on the pad at the end of the bed loudly groaning in relief.

"There better not be any moaning and groaning up there if I'm not involved," Myka yelled from downstairs. She heard Helena break out in laughter.

As Myka headed up the stairs with the ice, Helena explained, "My foot, darling. Trust me, if you were involved, it would be a very obscene noise." Laying the ice gently on the injured ankle Myka headed for the bathroom to clean up.

"Myka? What Claudia said…do you want to get married? We've never talked about it. I've never even considered it."

Myka slowly came out of the bathroom in a light robe, sitting on the bed on front of Helena's feet. Pulling the oil out of her pocket, she started with the good foot, Helena sitting back with a sigh. "Was that a proposal?" Myka smiled. "I don't know. I've never really thought about it either. I guess I'm just happy being with you and I know I love you. I never thought I needed a piece of paper to tell me I did. I've always felt that way, I think, even before you. Anything else was more a result of parental pressure. And after what we've been through, I don't doubt how you feel."

"I never saw marriage as anything other than a transfer of ownership, but it's different now. Neither of us exactly jumped with excitement at the suggestion. Quite the opposite I'd say." She bent forward away from the headboard. "Myka, I think we waited long enough for each other that the thought of getting married seems somewhat superfluous. It certainly doesn't mean I won't change my mind. I wouldn't mind exchanging rings though, at some point." She took Myka's left hand in hers, rubbing her naked ring finger.

Myka sighed deeply. "You might change your mind after I tell you something."

"Darling, what is it?" Helena sobered. "Is this what Claudia reminded you of?"

Myka kissed the bottom of the foot in her hand before getting up and walking to her small jewelry box. Helena watched her closely as she opened it slowly, retrieving something from the bottom.

"This could go very badly, and I won't blame you if you get mad at me and never want anything to do with me. I'm not sure I can explain. I don't know that I understand completely myself." She sat next to Helena on the bed and continued to ramble, starting to cry. "It was really selfish of me, and I should have given it to you a long time ago, it's just there never seemed a good time and when you came back...I'm sorry. I'm the one that found it in China. Your clue." She took Helena's hand and placed the locket in her hand, closing the delicate fingers around it. "I'm sorry I didn't return it a long time ago. "

Helena recognized the feel of it immediately. How many times had she held it? Quiet tears flowed unheeded. She painstakingly opened her hand, afraid to look at the small reminder of a former life that spanned a century of pain, loss, and anger.

Helena looked at Myka, sitting beside her lost in her own fear. Confused, she turned the woman's head towards her. "Why, Myka? Why now after all this time? Why have you kept this from me for so long?"

"I'm sorry Helena. I'm not sure. I never had the chance to give it back to you before you took off. You just disappeared. I wore it all that time you were gone, not knowing if you would ever return. Just as it kept you closer to Christina, it kept you closer to me. When you returned there never seemed a good time. I was so afraid you wouldn't come back ever again. I still do. Keeping it meant keeping a part of you. It was selfish of me. I am so sorry."

"Myka, please leave. Now. Give me some time alone. Please." She pleaded.

"I'll go stay at the house."

The team was still sitting at the table relaxing when she walked in, still in her robe.

"Uh, Myka, we stopped dressing in formal wear for dinner awhile ago." Pete cracked before he saw the streaks of tears. He stood up quickly, but Claudia had already beaten him to it.

"I got this, Pete. Let's go find you some clothes, Myka. I think you have some spares upstairs."

After hours of silence and staring at the ceiling, she fell asleep next to Claudia. Claudia felt the bed jump, finding Myka sitting straight up. "Mykes?"

"I need to go. NOW." Myka sprung from the bed and threw open the bedroom door.

"Mykes, give it the night." Claudia got up to follow her as she raced towards the cottage.

"You don't understand, Claud." She threw the door open. "Nightmare!"

Claudia heard the scream from the open door, following on Myka's heels as she took the stairs two at a time. Myka was behind Helena, arms wrapped around the thrashing, screaming woman, holding her firmly against her before Claudia made it to the top.

Myka talked her down, waking her up, far away from the demons of the dark.

"How'd you know?" Claudia asked bewildered by what had just occurred.

"I don't know. I just woke up. I knew." Myka looked over Helena's shoulder, her body limp in Myka's arms. "We're okay, Claudia. You can go back to bed. We're going to be okay." She gave Claudia a faint smile, pushing the wet strands of hair away from Helena's face. "Thanks. For everything."

"Yeah, okay."

* * *

"Helena? Where are you?" Myka came back straight from the warehouse when she found out she wasn't in the office with Claudia.

"I'm upstairs." An empty voice echoed from the loft.

She took the stairs two at a time. She never liked that sound in her voice. It wasn't just quiet resignation. It was dead, completely devoid of emotion.

"What's going on? Why are you packing your bag?"

Helena stopped momentarily, throwing her things in the bag. She couldn't look her in the face. "You didn't get my message. I left it on your phone. The Regents are sending me out." She threw another shirt in the bag and turned her back to Myka. She searched the drawer and quickly found the sweatshirt from Myka's dresser, bringing it to her nose, inhaling its scent. She shoved it in the bag and deliberately shut it.

The low undertones in Myka's voice were distinct. "What do you mean the Regents are sending you out? You were pulled from the field. You have at least three weeks left."

"Well, they retracted it, Myka. I don't have a choice."

"But, you're still limping. You never limp. Even when it hurts." She sat on the bed leaning her arms on her knees, dropping her head forward into her hands. "Why? Why you?"

Helena threw her bag to the top of the stairs and sat on the edge of the bed next to her, closing her eyes against the morning sun, clenching her jaw, and fighting off the tear in her eye. She collapsed on her back, rubbing her face with both hands, ridding the tear before Myka could see it.

"You know I can't tell you." She whispered. It was the same argument every time. Her endless discussions with the Regents proved futile in decreasing her activity. She begged last time to stay an agent exclusively at the warehouse.

Myka fell back next to her. "I'm not asking where or what, just why you? Isn't there anyone else?"

"Despite my pleas, apparently not." She sighed deeply, already tired and missing home. She turned her head towards Myka perplexed. "Why did you come home if you didn't get the message?"

"You weren't in the office with Claudia so I just came home. I just knew."

"Myka, we can't go through this every time they send me out. It's difficult enough leaving you. It's my job, Myka. Just like yours. You're out there too, tracking down artifacts all the time." She reached down taking Myka's hand in her own.

"But this is different, isn't it?" Myka held the hand firmly.

"Yes, it is." She pushed herself up and kneeled over Myka. "Darling, I don't have much time. The car is probably already waiting for me. At least I get to kiss you good-bye this time." She smiled sadly before fulfilling her promise. "Remember our Prince, 'The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart.' I feel you every day."

"Now, I must go, darling. She pushed herself off the bed before she lost all resolve. "Keep Pete out of trouble if you can. Don't let him touch anything." Picking up her bag at the top of the stairs she turned one last time towards Myka attempting her best bravado, "Oh, and darling, I left you something on your dresser. I had intended to give it to you tonight; part of a nefarious plan of mine to be touched again as softly as last night. I'll see you soon. That is a promise." She smiled sadly, winking at Myka, and limped down the stairs and out the door, silent tears painting her face away from Myka's view.

On her dresser sat a small, intricately engraved wooden box. She opened it to see a small note quickly torn from the pad that always sat on Helena's desk. Underneath was the locket. With shaking hands she gently picked it up. Upon opening it, she saw the ever present smile of Christina Wells staring back at her. Another photo, formatted in black and white to complement the other, had been added to the adjoining space. It was a quick shot of the two of them Claudia had taken in one of the gardens in Tenerife. She opened the piece of paper to the graceful script:

_Myka,_

_I am terribly sorry to leave this for you like this. I had hoped to give it to you tonight. However, it seems I am short of time. I do not wish to lose this treasure again and return it to your hands for safe keeping. Perhaps we might share that task. I believe it holds as much sentimental value for you as for me. I'll see you soon._

_It's not what you look at, it's what you see. – Henry David Thoreau_

_-Helena_

Myka sat on the bed. Looking at her phone she saw the message alert that Helena had left earlier. Out of habit, she looked to the side table. Helena's phone sat on the table beside the bed. She wasn't allowed to bring it this time. After listening to Helena's message she dialed a number already in tears.

"Pete…?"

* * *

**A/N:** 'The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart.'

-Antoine de Saint Exupery, The Little Prince


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